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Abstract

The value of healthy organisations, which acknowledge the merit of human capital, has long been shown to promote effective organisational functioning. Behaviours which promote effective organisational functioning are said to lie within an employee’s social, physical and emotional resources. Such behaviours are depicted in this research through workplace social inclusion, work engagement and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB). Consequently, this research investigates the influence of workplace social inclusion on OCB with analysis on the mediating effects of work engagement and the predictive effects of demographics. Hypotheses were tested through application of a simple mediation model in accordance with Hayes Process Analysis (Hayes, 2013), alongside Hierarchical Regression Analysis for the demographic factors. Using an online survey, 109 participants’ self-reported their level of workplace social inclusion, work engagement and OCB through previously validated measures. The findings of this research were supportive of the simple mediation model. The strongest relationship was demonstrated between workplace social inclusion and work engagement. Further, once indirect relationships were considered, it was found that work engagement, a construct commonly associated with positive individual behaviour outcomes, mediated the relationship between workplace social inclusion and OCB. One of the unique contributions of this research lies in the assertion that while work engagement has been previously demonstrated as a construct closely associated with positive organisational and individual behaviours, the social context of its facilitation (through workplace social inclusion) has not been considered in prior literature to date. The findings of the present research are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical value for organisations and individual behaviour.